Wg. Breed et V. Sarafis, THE FLUORESCENT DYE 3,3'DIHEXYLOXACARBOCYANINE IODIDE SELECTIVELY STAINS THE MIDPIECE AND APICAL REGION OF THE HEADS OF MURID RODENT SPERMATOZOA, Biotechnic & histochemistry, 70(6), 1995, pp. 294-296
Fluorescence microscopy of caudal epididymal spermatozoa stained with
3, 3' dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide (DiOC(6)(3)) showed intense fluore
scence along the concave surface of the apical hook of spermatozoa of
Rattus species and along the upper concave margin of the sperm head in
Mus musculus. In the spermatozoa of Hydromys chrysogaster, Melomys ce
rvinipes, and Pseudomys australis, the two ventral processes also fluo
resced brightly. In P. australis, fluorescence in the apical hook of s
perm heads was largely localized to its upper and lower surfaces, The
sperm of N. alexis did not show consistent positive fluorescence. The
localization of fluorescence in these spermatozoa after staining with
DiOC(6)(3) was mainly restricted to regions where a large accumulation
of perinuclear theca material lies beneath the plasmalemma, The reaso
n for this remains to be determined, but DiOC(6)(3) may be useful for
quickly demonstrating areas of abundant perinuclear thecal material in
sperm heads of eutherian mammals by light microscopy.